


do you love me, dennis reynolds?

by prunuspersicaarchive (prunuspersica)



Series: homesickness [7]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Catharsis, Hospitalization, M/M, MacDennis - Freeform, Texting, ooo some fluff FINALLY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 05:08:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12598888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prunuspersica/pseuds/prunuspersicaarchive
Summary: pt7 of homesicknesssummary: the number's unblocked. mac is alive. catharsis and fluff ensues.warnings: mentions of self harm, hospitalizationgenre: angst, fluff





	do you love me, dennis reynolds?

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to kaylee because she needs to write some canon-compliant fluff >:(

He listens to the message they left before finally reading the text.

 

_ “Hey, Dennis? You probably have our numbers blocked, but it’s Dee.” _ __  
  


_ “And Charlie!” _

 

_ “And Mac’s in the hospital. He’s been really fucked up lately, and I think it has something to do with you. He uh, he got really drunk last night, like worse than usual, and cut himself up a lot, and we thought you should know. We thought he’d want you to know, maybe. Thanks, Dennis. We… kind of miss you.” _

 

Beep.

 

“Hey, Mac, buddy? We’re gonna go to the cafeteria for a little bit, so if there’s anything you want?” Dee inquired.

 

“I don’t care. Whatever you want.”

 

Dee and Charlie walked out of the room holding hands, and in a wave of bravery and bittersweet emotion, he opened the text.

 

_ “tell me when mac can talk.” _

 

His heart sped up and the monitor began to beep. It finally stopped, and nobody came in, so he responded:

 

_ “it’s mac.” _

 

The dots popped up… He saw it. He was talking. Dennis cared. Dennis cared about Mac, and he felt it and it was real--

 

_ “fuck you.” _

 

_ “what?” _

 

_ “i hate you mac,” _

 

_ “hate you too then”  _

 

_ “you’re everything i’ve thought about in north dakota mac i’m so sorry i love you i need you” _

 

_ “well fuck you too” _

 

_ “don’t talk to me like that, mac.”  _

 

_ “well i’m on a fucking iv drip with my legs all bandaged up in a hospital, excuse me for getting offended that you’re only thinking about yourself even when you’re thinking about me.”  _

 

_ “i’m so sorry. please don’t hurt yourself again. how are you?” _

 

_ “i feel like ass, den. but you’re talking to me, finally…”  _

 

_ “yeah, that’s okay. i need to tell you something” _

 

Mac’s heart had gone through enough in this fine morning, but nope, there it goes again. Sinking. What’s he done now…

 

_ “oh?” _

 

_ “you can’t tell dee or frank or charlie, i’m going to keep it a secret for a while.” _

 

_ “what?” _

 

_ “i’m coming back to you. for you, i love you…” _

 

Mac’s eyes filled up with tears and he felt all the pain in his legs slowly melt away like the wax around a candle wick, now he was just made of relief and love, no matter how much Dennis had hurt him he would always be like this. He was sure they were soulmates now. 

 

_ “holy fuck, dennis. i don’t know what to say, thank you. i love you too”  _

 

_ “mandy told me to. all i wanted was you, and she was right. i miss you.” _

 

_ “i miss you too” _

 

_ “i’m flying back tomorrow.” _

 

It was happening. Dennis was coming back. For him, and he was all his, and Mac was all Dennis’, and Dennis belonged to Mac just as much as the opposite was true, and his heart just kept melting, and the tears just kept flowing, and he sent another message.

 

_ “wow.” _

 

_ “will you be able to meet me at the airport? i’ll come see you at the hospital otherwise, okay?”  _

 

_ “i’ll come.” _

 

_ “amazing” _

 

_ “can i ask you something?” _

 

_ “of course.”  _

 

He had so much to ask, but he went for the little questions first. They were all big questions. Big feelings. He continued:

 

_ “will you still bang me with all these scars” _

 

Dennis laughed out loud, almost waking up Brian Jr.

 

_ “mac, i’d never pass up an opportunity to fuck you ever again.” _

 

Mac smiled wider than he had in over a month. He found a new side of Dennis that he always knew was sort of there but he never really saw it. It was amazing what a crude text from your… soulmate?... could do.

 

_ “wow.”  _

 

_ “well maybe not everything i say is a lie, mac” _

 

_ “are we done with denial?” _

 

_ “never.”  _

 

_ “can we try?” _

 

_ “always.”  _

 

_ “do you love me, dennis reynolds?”  _

 

_ “of course, ronald mcdonald.” _

 

_ “fuck you” _

 

_ “i can’t wait ;)” _

 

There was that smile again. Dennis was smiling for once, and his eyes were teary too, and Mac finally felt okay. He was okay. Dennis was coming back!

 

Mac put his phone down on the side-table and just cried for a little while. His head hurt still, so much, and his throat was dry, but it was worth it. He concluded he would go through any amount of pain for real love. And he really loved Dennis. And Dennis really loved him, as improbable as it was. He closed his eyes for a moment and thanked God, something he hadn’t done in a while. Maybe God did want him to be gay, and either way, he was going to marry Dennis eventually. 

 

Charlie and Dee came back through the door loudly, holding a sad little cup of blue Jell-O and a plate of apple slices.

 

“The lady said you need electric lights, so we got you Jell-O!” Charlie grinned wide at his newfound knowledge of science.

 

“Electrolytes, Charlie.”

 

Mac woke up in a panic.

 

“Oh, thanks.” He checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t dreamed it, and ate the Jell-O and fruit.

 

“I’m going to have an awesome day tomorrow.”

 

“We don’t really give a shit now that you’re alive, so we’ll see you back at the bar okay?” Dee shrugged and casually walked out with Charlie. Mac smiled again. Life was shitty, but life was good. And that was his catharsis.

  
  


In North Dakota, Dennis was frantically stuffing things in his suitcase as Brian Jr. napped and Mandy sat in the kitchen enjoying some hot tea and texting her new girlfriend. He was glad Mac was still alive, and though he never really doubted that he would still love him, he was relieved.

 

“Hey, Mandy?” Dennis mumbled, walking downstairs.

 

“Yeah?” Mandy looked up and put her tea down. Her hair bounced gracefully.

 

“I just… want to say thank you. You helped me realize that I do have feelings. For Mac.”

 

Mandy slowly smiled at Dennis. 

 

“You’re welcome. Hug?” she inquired, opening her arms. Dennis obliged, and they shared a short, lovely hug, and tears flooded down Dennis’ sharp cheekbones and they got all over Mandy’s shoulder, but she didn’t care.

 

“We’ll keep in touch. I’ll visit,” Dennis concluded, his face burning from the hot tears. Mandy grinned wide and nodded, and handed him a paper towel to dry his tears, but he used the sleeve of his shirt instead.

 

“Pulls on the skin too much, I’ll get all wrinkly,” he told her.

 

And in those moments, Dennis Reynolds finally kind of thought that life was good.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
